First UK revival of Shakespeare’s R&J reveals cast and creative team
Reading Rep Theatre has announced the complete cast and creative team for the first UK revival of Shakespeare’s R&J.
Written by Joe Calarco and helmed by the venue’s founding artistic director Paul Stacey, the piece was staged in the West End 20 years ago. It follows four repressed adolescents at a strict boarding school, who find a secret copy of Shakespeare’s tale of starcrossed lovers.
The cast includes Reading Rep alumni Elijah Ferreira (A Christmas Carol) and Luke Daniels (Youth and the Young Person), alongside Brayden Emmanuel (You & Me) and Tom Sowinski (Million Dollar Quartet).
Stacey commented: “I can’t wait for audiences to see this epic story of forbidden love turned on its head. This modern adaption shakes off the cobwebs many associate with Shakespeare and allows us to see the text anew. We are very excited to welcome our talented cast to Reading Rep and it’s a pleasure to have Elijah and Luke back on our main stage.”
The creative team also includes Chris Cuming (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) as movement director, Anna Kelsey (Indecent Proposal) as designer, John Rainsforth (Some Enchanted Evening) as lighting designer, Jamie Lu (Tokyo Rose) as sound designer and Sarah Harkins (Jekyll & Hyde) as casting director.
Shakespeare’s R&J runs from 11 October until 4 November 2023 at the Berkshire venue, with a press night scheduled for 16 October.
